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Overview

Shadow of Reichenbach Falls by John R. King

Probably the most infamous story in the Sherlock Holmes canon is “The Final Problem” as it relates the facts of the death/murder of the master detective at Reichenbach Falls. On May 4, 1891, the detective met his archenemy Professor Moriarty on a ledge above the falls; the two became locked in a titanic hand-to-hand struggle before both tumbled over the precipice, presumably to their deaths, as witnessed afar by Dr.Watson. The outcry against the death of such a popular character was so great that in 1901 Conan Doyle was forced to give in to the pressure of his fan mail. He resurrected the detective by claiming that Holmes had managed to grab a tuft of grass during the fall into the “dreadful cauldron” and so had lived to solve another mystery.

But what really happened that infamous day at Reichenbach Falls and why did Holmes disappear in the aftermath? And what of the infamous Moriarty? How did a noble mathematician become the Napoleon of Crime?

The Shadow of Reichenbach Fallsprovides these answers and more. It turns out that the events were not just witnessed by Watson but by another young detective of the Victorian era—Carnacki the Ghost Finder. Carnacki rescues an amnesiac gentleman from the base of the falls only to find himself and his companion doggedly pursued by an evil mastermind whose shadowy powers may reach from the bloody crime scenes of White Chapel to far beyond the grave.

Filled with Holmesian lore and thrilling encounters evocative of Doyle’s work in the Strand magazine, The Shadow of Reichenbach Fallswill undoubtedly join the ranks of such successful Holmesian pastiches as The Seven Percent Solution, The West End Horror, and Murder by Decree.

Product Details

About the Author

John R. King lives in Wisconsin and is a life long Sherlockian. He has written in the paranormal field for various RPG companies.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls

“From the first page I was hooked … This is a marvelous read!”Elaine Bergstrom, author of Shattered Glass and Mina…the Dracula Story Continue

“The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls is a rousing mystery-adventure wreathed in the smoke of Holmes’s meerschaum pipe and bathed in the eerie light of Carnacki’s electric pentacle. Deftly told and exciting.”James Lowder, author of Prince of Lies

From the Publisher

King's muddled alternate version of the epic final battle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty teams the Baker Street sleuth with William Hope Hodgson's Thomas Carnacki, a detective who often contends with the supernatural. Carnacki happens to be present in Switzerland in 1891 to witness the struggle between Holmes and Moriarty above the Reichenbach Falls recounted in Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Final Problem." After Carnacki and an attractive young woman, Anna Schmidt, rescue an amnesiac Holmes from the rapids, the trio dodge bullets from the professor, who turns out to be Anna's father. As Holmes gradually regains his faculties, Moriarty chases them across the continent. Flashbacks to the master criminal's youth offer a surprising if gimmicky explanation for his turn to evil. Despite the author's obvious affection for the characters, he fails to provide a plot that does justice to his intriguing premise. (July)

It takes two fictional sleuths to engineer Professor Moriarty's comeuppance. In a letter to Dr. Watson written 20 years after Holmes met Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, Thomas Carnacki, the detective who solved supernatural cases using the principle of the electric pentacle, recounts how an apparently chance encounter with one Anna Schmidt led to their picnicking at the Falls just in time to rescue one man who had been pushed over by the other. Dubbing the amnesiac survivor Harold Silence, the couple whisk him off to Prefargier Sanatorium in Meiringen, Switzerland. Unfortunately, the survivor's nemesis, having preceded him there, continues his attempts at murder, though he seems loath to harm Anna. Small wonder: As Anna later relates en route to Paris, the man is her father, Professor James Moriarty, who, using algorithms developed by his late wife Susanna, had killed Jack the Ripper, only to have the Ripper's demon essence invade his body and corrupt him. The only man who can stop him now is the great Sherlock Holmes, aka Harold Silence. Once he recovers his memory with boosts from the electrical machine Carnacki has stolen from the Swiss sanatorium, the game is afoot, with disguises, deductions and death in attendance. Sherlockians may quibble at their hero's fallibility, but King (The Angel of Death in Chicago, 2008, etc.) could well create new fans for William Hope Hodgson's early sci-fi tales of Carnacki.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Shadow of Reichenbach Falls 3.9 out of 5based on
0 ratings.
14 reviews.

JL_Garner

More than 1 year ago

In a clever retelling of the classic Holmes tale "The Final Problem," John R. King delves into the backstory of the mysterious Professor Moriarty while at the same time raising the question of whether an amnesiac Sherlock Holmes is still Holmes. Along for the ride is William Hope Hodgson's Thomas Carnacki the Ghostfinder, so there's definitely more than a touch of the supernatural to this adventure.
The characters are well-written, particularly Holmes and Moriarty, but the plot is a bit scattershot and the story's conclusion a bit muddled. Still, "The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls" makes for a diverting read.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

There was no mystery to it. It just dragged on to much.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Book is 3 sections. 2 is far & away the best. 1 & 3 each have several chapters. Some are written in 3rd person, some in 1st person, and you don't know who the narrator is, till several paragraphs in. Changing " point of view" so often & so quickly (some chapters only a few paragraphs long!) made for a choppy reading experience. Too bad, because concept was really interesting! Good editing would have helped.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Sherlock walked in. "You know, it's rather boring to do Gender blends. I like going for the Species Blend. What do you think, John?" <p>
John shrugged, sitting on the arm of a chair. "I dunno. You tell me, Sherlock. I mean, you're supposed to be dead."

Progdad

More than 1 year ago

Very interesting read. Holmes, Watson & Moriarty are back. The story flows very well. Very easy to read. I recommend it.

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More than 1 year ago

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More than 1 year ago

She saw him wave. "Definitely him."

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Ah, i'm already creating a new character.......

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I have not read this selection yet.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Just to save time would have immediately got but went to publishers review and what a mish mash so borrowed. Still a weird combo and liked the spirit of jack the r p plus early use of shock treatment that they tried in return to oz movie not in book the borrower a friend of page counter but different taste in books so never loan